a
The Atlantie Messenger.
Monthly. ]
Devoted to the Relief of Baptist DesUtuioon in Eastern North Carolina.
[25 Cents per Year.
VOLUME TWO.
NEW BEBY, N. C., JANUABY, 1902.
NUMBEB NINE.
foUR WORK IN DECEMBER
EAST CARTERET FIELD.
Rev. N. L. Gaskins, Davis.
Dear Bro. Moore: The month
has passed off with no perceivable
results. Appointments have all
been met with good attendance.
The brethren at Marshallberg
are moving on rapidly with their
house of worship. This shows
what a few can do Avhen they are
disposed to work together.
Sister Sarah Sielson, of Mar-
shalberg, has been granted a let
ter to unite with the church at
Morehead City. A letter also has
been granted to Sister Sarah Ful
cher, of Smyrna, to unite witli the
church at Marshallberg.
T desire to express my apprecia
tion for the valuable Christmas
gifts received from my friends of
D avis and Marshallberg. With the
writer it is no guess work: he
knows that he is trying to serve
the best people in the State.
THE ONSLOW FIELD.
answer their prayers and reward
their labors and when Sister Bus
sell laid her armor by and went
home she left her church number
ing over one hundred members,
Sunday School about as many,
Woman’s Missionary Society and
Aid Society all working in harmo
ny and doing well. All that, to say
nothing of the rapid progress our
little town has made during these
few years. Yes, we shall miss her
from every department of our
work; but only a few more years
and we all hope to meet her whei’e
parting will be no more.
iSTow that my school is off my
hands I hope to be able to do some
truly missionary work. Year each
of my churches there is a mission
point that I shall try to work in
connection with my regidar ap-
})ointments.
NEW DERN—FIRST CHURCH.
Our committees-; Finance, M.
MOREHEAD CITY.
Rev. A. W. Setzer, Morehead City.
The pastor spent the holiday
season at liis old home in Catawba
county. Tt was a pleasure to come
again in conitact with the scenes
of boyhood and greet friends and
relatives. But there is the inevit-
Rev. C. B. Paul, Swansboro.
Dear Bro. Moore: It has been
two months since I last wrote to
The Messenger ; and yet when I
glance back over the work I see
but little to write about. The fact
is I have been so closely confined
to the school room that I have had
but little time for church work. T
have closed my school now and
hone to get the work in good shaoe
during the coming spring.
Short croy)s have hindered us
riUTl’rC clTUAT^" lLJl.nu('iiU illilOj
but the brethren are learning to
make sacrifices for the cause, and
when this shall become a part of
our religion the cause as well as
our own affairs will be more pros
perous.
Our work at each appointment
is moving along fairly well, but
at Swansboro our cause has sus
tained a severe loss in the death
of Sister M. A. Bussell. When
Baptists, in this section, were fewg
and Baptist principles not at all
popular. Sister Bussell cast her
lot with a little band of struggling
Baptists at Piney Grove three
miles from her home. This she did
because as she once told me, her
Bible led her there. What a severe
rebuke her action is to some of
our milk-and-water Christians who
for convenience or popularity will
sacrifice principles for wFich the
bravest and best of God’s creatures
have suffered and died. At Piney
Grove she was faithful to every
department of our work and when
about five years ago it was decid
ed to organize a church at Swans
boro, she with fourteen others, got
letters and organized themselves
into Swansboro Baptist church.
Fifteen members and only one
male member among them. What
can these few poor women do ?
How long before they will become
discouraged and quit ? Had they
not better disorganize and identi
fy themselves with one or the oth
er of the churches already at
work? The town is small and can
not support so many churches.
The difference between Baptist
and others is slight (?) and can
easily be sacrificed for conven
ience. A great deal of prejudice
and hard feelings will be aroused
should the Ba]ff.ists begin work
here. These and many other such
speculations were made about this
handful of sisters who dared to
take God at His word; vet be
tween hope and fear the little
band toiled on until God saw' fit to
able feeling of sadness as I view'
the effect of Time. Much that once
was is no more and that which re
mains bears many marks of
Time’s unrelenting hand.
Our town and church have suf
fered a loss in the removal of Bro.
Cade and family to Waynesville.
Though having lived among us
less than a year, he had made a
place for himself and family that
W'ill not be verv readily filled. Our
best wislies extend to them in
hi. ±r nv>o iKriiie'ajiiorig tlw tfiyiiiL-'
tains.
Bro. Cade occupied my pulpit
at the evening service on the third
Sunday and preached a most ex
cellent Gospel sermon.
, We w'ere favored with a visit
from Bro. T. Yeil Johnson on the
fourth Sunday. He came in the
interest of Bible stiidy. At the
evening service a class of tw^enty-
four was formed w'hich w'ill take
up a daily study of the life of
Christ as recorded in the Gospel
of Mark. Bro. Johnson endear
ed himself to us all in the little
while he w^as w'ith us and w'e w'ill
always gladly w’eleome him to our
tow'n.
We have been called upon to
mourn with Bro. and, Sister Sam
Willis the death of their 5-year-
old boy, whose body w'as laid away
in Bay View cemetery on the 14th
of December. May the God of
Peace grant them sufficient grace
in this time of severe trial.
The fall term of Atlantic Insti
tute closed December 18th. The
enrollment reached 73. Those fos
tering this w'ork should feel much
gratified over the beginning of
this new enterprise. The spring
term w'ill begin January 6th,
11)02. The prospects are good for
more students than were enrolled
Rev. Right C. Moore, Ne-w Bern.
During the absence of the pas
tor at the convention our pulpit
W'as supplied very acceptably by
Prof. J; Paul Spence. His ser
mons were both thoughtful and
forceful and they will be long re
membered for the good impres
sions made.
The death of Bro. J. 11. Vinson
on the 11th of December cast the
mantle of gloom over our church.
For several w'eeks he had suffered
intensely, but bravely he' battled
against disease. At last his
strength w'as gone, and so submis
sively, triumphantly he passed
forth into the larger life of the
spii'it-w'orld. Industrious and
successful in business, loyal and
affectionate in his home, an u])-
right citizen and , a consistent
Christian, he is greatly missed
from the circle of his relatives and
friends. His w'ife and his sons
have the ju'ofound sympaties of
all their acquaintance. ‘‘He is not
dead, but slee])eth.”
Mow' that the church annex is
about com])leted, it is serving-
most acceptably foi- Bro. Hol
land’s class of boys on Sunday af
ternoons and for our regular
I'hursday evening prayer meet-
meetings during the winter. It is
a distinct addition tp the value
and efficiency of our church ]>rop-
erty.
The new' bell arrived in time to
summon the congregation to the
last services of the old year. It
was ])ut in place during the holi
days. The total cost of the bell
from the foundry to the church
RTWer 'wrtl closeiy appibanii '
It weighs 1,522 pounds and gives
forth a sound at once full and
round, pure and penetrating. The
membership is pleased w'ith the
purchase and many others have
expressed similar delight. As it
has been secured for the glory
of God, may its every tone ring
true to its high mission!
.Letters of dismission were
granted to JIrs. W. B. and l\Iis,^
Lula Warters, now' resident in
Washington City. We commend
them to Pastor S'vem and the Sec
ond Baptist church, wishing them
much joy and usefulness in the
national capital.
On the last Sunday of the year
W'e were delighted to add the
names of three young men to our
clnrrch register. Bro.' Garrett L.
Vinson presented a letter from
one of our churches in Mansfield,
Ohio, and was cordially w'elcom-
ed to our fellowship. Also Dr. II.
B. Parker and Bro. Paul McDan
iel were gladly received on a letter
from Piney Grove church in Jones
county. In such accessions we re
joice: “may their tribe increase!”
L. Davis, Jennings Mason, T. E.
NOTES FROM THE NEUSE.
Parker, B. Felton. Spiritual,
M. L. Davis, J. W. Yoe, T. E.
Parkins, E. C. Whitehurst. I’hey
are preparing to do efficient w'ork
this year. They w'ill endeavor to
enforce tw'o convictions: (1) A
member able and unw'illing to
bear his part of the church ex
penses, should be excluded; (2) a
member able and yet will not at
tend church has no right to metx’,-
bership, but is a positive hin
drance, and must get out. IJiese
tw'o princii:des, if enforced, will
build u]) any church. I verily be
lieve that a lack of it (enforce
ment) has hindered us. We had
just as w'ell be plain. There is too
much show' in many places al
ready. I want to say right here, 'at
the beginning of the year, to our
church, that I am helpless and
hopeless without their co-opera
tion. We have converted the
Thursday evening service into a
Bible study cause. We began this
year w'ith a systematic study of
the Old Bible. . This will require
tw'enty-six weeks. Following this
W'ill be a similar outline of the
Yew Testament for twenty-six
W'eeks. The first outline is printed
and phu'ed in the hands of every
member. We try to get the follow
ing three fold ]Jedge—read the
scripture assigned for each week,
attend the class, and bring Bibles.
We place 90 per cent of our ho])e
L r this year right here'. If tw'eii-
ty members of the church will
carefully follow' this stud}' they
will be greatly helped and the
church given new life. How- much
uuun if all would tak(' a part! 1
ought to’ say here that we h/ge all
(o take a ])art in this'slndy,’ !' re
spective of church relationship.
So far 1 believe the study is en
gaged in by a very good number
indeed.
Sunmiing up: The future is
1 believe this
during the fall. I must not fail to
mention in this connection the im
portance of beginning and com
pleting our school building. We
must rally about this giant enter
prise in its infant clothes and see
that the possibility of failure is
eliminated. Let the motto of the
Baptists of the Atlantic Associa
tion be: We can; ive must; we will
build an institution for the educa
tion of our boys and girls!
‘How many churches in our ter
ritory want twenty-five copies of
The Messenger to one address?
Three dollars noiv or within nine
ty days will bring them: every
month for a year. Write at once.
BEAUFORT.
Rev. J. N. Tolar, Beaufort.
Our second year here closed the
fourth Sunday in Yovember. We
have now' entered one month upon
our third year. We had thought of
giving up the work, but external
and internal inducements caused
us to abandon temporarily this
idea. Whether this course w'as
w'ise we have not yet learned. We
trust, how'ever, that it was and
that the work this year will . be
blessed of God.
We are trying to infuse new' life
—more real life—in the differ
ent departments. The Aid and
Missionary Societies hold their
ow'n very w'ell. They are looking
upw'ard this year. They both very
much need the co-operation of all
the sisters.
Rev. C. W. Blanchard, Kinston.
Dear Messenger: It is with
congratfilations that I come to you
W'ith my first greetings. I have
enjoyed your monthly visit.s
throughout your career. I now
give you the “tip-of-the-morning’^
as the representative of the desti
tution of Eastern Yorth Carolina.
I bequeath to you my ow'n and the
good will of The Exponent, and
commend you to a hearty use and'
su])port from all the former read
ers of that paper.
Your life and character arises
from a pure and fruitflil soil, and
W'ith the compliments of the sea
son 1 may add my earnest w'ish
that the riches of your future store
in fruit and prosperity to the
cause you have espoused may be
of Moore abundantly. 1 shall
look for your visits w'ith a pecu
liar interest for your ow'ii and the
W'ork’s sake which you are to do.
Do your best, there is much labor
before you.
The Kinston Baptist church
(dosed a year of reasonable pros
perity. We look forw'ard w'ith
greater hope for the year to come.
A good ])ayment has been made on
our church debt and the old build
ing has been sold and moved aw'ay.
This w'eek is Missionary Bevival
w'eek with our sisters. The pas
tor lias the honor of meeting w'ith
them every night through the w'eek
to talk on some outline phase of
tlie work and to join them in pray
ing for a greater missionary spirit
at home and abroad.
Idle holidays w'ere spent at
Cary w'ith my family. Of course
bright and
year
holds in store good things for us.
God help us to find them for his
glory. We have written ])lainly,
lovingly, and w'e trust, faithfully.
1 know nothing of Woodville
r ' Yorth Biver. I shall try to
run out to Yorth .Biver as often
as convenient, irrespective of ap
propriations.
If you are not already a s-ub-
scriber to The Messenger, you are
most cordially invited to become
one. Enclose a quarter to-day to
the editor of The Messenger. Neir
Bern, N. 0.
A convention is called of the
representatives of the Yeuse As
sociation, to be held w'ith Ivinston
Baptist church January 21st, at 7
p. m. The purpose is to try to
get enlarged subscriptions to State
Missions, so that w'e can fill our
now' vacant fields. Our associa-
tional w'ork is greatly suffering for
w'ant of means to prosecute it.
This W'e feel w'ill be overcome
w'hen we meet in convention.
Tlie Yeuse Colportage Associ
ation has been organized. It has
a good solid foundation and will
—An editorial on the Baptist
State Convention w'ould now' be
out of date, but we must be allow'-
ed a local line at least. It was a
great meeting. The gates of Win
ston-Salem W'ere thrown w'ide open
and an abundant hospitality w'as
dispensed. It w'as our good for
tune to be the guest of our friend
and kinsman. Captain I). P. Mast.
The work of the Convention w'as
above the usual, particularly in its
provision for the indebtedness of
the Baptist Female University.
Several of the addresses were of
a very high order. Forward steps
were taken in several directions.
The minutes of the Convention
have been printed and can be had
for the asking from Bev. Living
ston Johnson, Baleigh, Y. C. The
next session w'ill be held in Dur
ham next December.
This paper aspires to be a well
doer rather than a money-maker.
But to Tteep alive and do its bes^
worlc, its finances must not be over
looked. Moral: Subscribe!
have a good stock of books on hand
for our colporter, Mr. W. M. Bag-
ley, and all our missionaries, with
in another week. We invite co-op
eration from all the pastors and
churches in Eastern Yorth Caro
lina. This will be a strong agency
of w'ork. Address J. J. Bogers,
Kinston, Y. C., Secretary and
Treasurer.
Yews just reaches us that the
Spring enrollment at Winterville
High School is climbing close to
200. What a benediction this in
stitution is already proving to the
Baptists of the east! It is unsur
passed in equipment and teachers
by any secondary school in Yorth
Carolina. Terras are most reasona
ble.
Salutations to all the brethren.
—Here is a fact and it might as
W'ell be published: Unless some
of our churches now receiving help
from the State Board do more for
the support of their pastors, our
w'ork will be seriously crippled
soon. For a whole circiiit of
churches to pay a pastor w'ho has
positively no other source of in
come so little that he has to go in
debt for his board and clothes is
embarrassing, to say the least.
Liberality there must be, and not
all on the side of the minister
either.